A switching hub device is provided with connectors to be connected with a communication cable, such as a LAN (local area network) cable and an FC (fiber channel) cable. For example, in a case of connecting an FC cable with a switching hub device, SFP (small form factor pluggable) is used as a connector for the switching hub device.
In recent years, a number of electric instruments to be connected with a switching hub device via a communication cable has been increasing. Therefore, there is a demand for high density packaging of connectors to switching hub devices. For example, in order to achieve high density packaging, an FC switching hub device has a structure of disposing a pair of connectors back to back.
In addition, upon changing an electric instrument in connection with a switching hub device, an operation of removing a communication cable from the switching hub device is desired. That is, it turns out to carry out an operation of separating a connector attached on a tip of the communication cable from the switching hub device.
An operation of mounting a communication cable to the switching hub device is to be an operation of inserting the communication cable into a connector of the switching hub device. As the communication cable is inserted into the connector, a locking member of the connector is activated to fix the communication cable in a state of being connected with the connector. In contrast, the operation of separating a communication cable from a connector is to be an operation of pulling out the communication cable from the connector while releasing the lock by pressing a lock releasing lever of the communication cable to a side of the communication cable.
Since a connector is provided with the locking member in such a manner, it is carried out to release the lock by inserting a finger to a side of the connector in order to separate the communication cable from the switching hub device.
Here, a related technique is proposed, as a technique to separate a communication cable from a switching hub device, to separate a large number of modular plugs collectively from the switching hub device by releasing the locks of a plurality of modular jacks all together.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-176887 is an example of related art.
However, a switching hub device in the past turns out to be provided with a space to insert a finger on a side of providing the lock releasing lever of the communication cable, and thus it is not easy to shorten the intervals between the connectors more than that. Therefore, in a switching hub device in the past, it is difficult to improve the packaging density of connectors. In this regard, in a case of disposing the connectors back to back, a space to insert one finger may be utilized as a space to release the locks of two connectors. However, even in the case of disposing connectors back to back, a space to insert at least one finger is desired for a width between the connectors on a side of the lock releasing lever, so that it is difficult to improve the packaging density of the connectors more than that.
In addition, the related technique to release the locks of a plurality of modular jacks all together has a structure of releasing the locks of the connectors by sandwiching a tool to release the locks all together with fingers. Therefore, even in this related technique, the side of the lock releasing lever of a connector is provided with a space to insert a finger. Accordingly, even when using this related technique, it is not easy to narrow the space between connectors on the side of the lock releasing levers, and thus it is difficult to improve the packaging density of the connectors.